The election of 1860 saw Lincoln win because the Democratic party was split over slavery, leading to Southern secession. Which year is this election?

• A. Abolitionist Movement
• B. Compromise of 1850
• C. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854)
• D. Election of 1860

Answer: (D)

This question tests your understanding of when Lincoln won and how the slavery debate split the political landscape. In 1860 the Democratic Party fractured over slavery, with Northern Democrats and Southern Democrats nominating different candidates (and a third party drawing votes as well), which divided the vote. That split allowed Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, to win the presidency even though he didn’t carry a broad national mandate. His victory helped push the nation toward secession by Southern states and the start of the Civil War. The year of that election is 1860. The other options point to earlier events or movements, not the year of the election itself.